G P Service

Keeping the southwest safe from fires is at the forefront of Geoff and Carolyn’s business as proud owners of G P Service. The professional and friendly husband and wife team are about to celebrate 15 years of trading as G P Service therefore we thought we’d catch up to help them celebrate this huge milestone. It has been 5 years since we last caught up with Geoff and Carolyn and a lot of changes have been made since then.

A healthy work/life balance is a key aspect of Geoff and Carolyn’s enjoyment of their job which has influenced some big changes within the business. G P Service now operates on a planned work schedule rather than responsive; therefore, they have transitioned from their appliance repairs and servicing trade and said hello

to the fire extinguisher industry. This new chapter of G P Service comes as a breath of fresh air to Geoff and Carolyn as they are able to control the workload and plan their week in advance.

The change of direction came after spending some time away at their caravan in Cornwall back in 2018. Geoff had been issued with some of the PAT Testing for the holiday park previously and they had asked Geoff if he could help service and supply fire extinguishers. At this point in time, Geoff was trained to do PAT testing however, he hadn’t sat the relevant exams or gained the qualifications required to help out with the fire extinguishers. This sparked an idea to take on this trade alongside appliance repairs and PAT testing.

Geoff underwent a training course provided by the FPA at the fire service college and gained fire safety and extinguisher servicing certificates which he refreshes every three years. Geoff is now a qualified engineer after sitting the BAFE examination and a member of the Fire Protection Association and G P Service is a member of the UK Fire Association. Geoff’s attitude to want to learn more have resulted in further qualifications and he has carried out asbestos training, health & safety training and has been DBS checked.

G P Service has gone on to receive two business awards in 2016 and 2018!

With the natural decline of appliance repairs, the business gradually shifted to predominantly fire extinguisher work & PAT testing which Geoff was ready and excited for. This meant that Geoff and Carolyn could spend more quality time with their three boys and adopt a steadier pace of life.

G P Service stocks all types of fire extinguishers and fire blankets from the Commander & Titan ranges, they also offer PAT testing and servicing and refilling of fire extinguishers. If you are unsure of the fire extinguisher requirements of your building then you can book a site visit and Geoff will personally assess your building and advice you on what extinguishers you may need.

G P Service will always provide a tailored quotation of servicing costs for your business, they also sell new fire extinguishers.

G P Service NEW extinguisher prices

• 6-litre water fire extinguisher: £32.99
• 6-litre foam spray fire extinguisher: £38.99
• 2kg CO2 fire extinguisher: £42.99
• 1kg powder fire extinguisher: £18.99
• 2-litre multichem fire extinguisher: £39.99
• signage, stands and fire blankets are also available

G P Service will always offer you a fair price which will be fixed. They are a 100% trustworthy service that will never convince you to purchase more than is required.

After the Grenfell Tower disaster of 2017, we have all become more aware of the dangers that electrical equipment can have. The urgency of fire extinguishers and fire prevention such as PAT testing of electrical equipment had surged in demand and G P Service feels a certain amount of responsibility and pride to provide this service to the people of Devon & Cornwall. Geoff can leave a client knowing that he has done a good job and feels a sense of relief that he has done all he can in order to prevent a dangerous fire.

Geoff refilling & servicing fire extinguishers

The most common fires in homes tend to start in the kitchen, however, overloaded plug sockets, hair straighteners’s left on beds, portable heaters and tumble dryers are all very common starters of house fires. Surprisingly, there are no laws towards fire extinguishers in domestic homes however, Geoff advises that the minimum you could have in your home is a fire blanket in the kitchen and a small multi-purpose extinguisher in your garage. And more importantly, is to make sure you have smoke alarms that are correctly placed and working.

Fire extinguisher legislation for businesses is stricter therefore it’s worth getting G P Service to assess your building to make sure you have the right extinguishers in the correct places for that extra peace of mind. For a regular office, the minimum requirement is to have two class A extinguishers per floor each with a 13A rating. These will need to be commissioned and serviced annually to the relevant British Standards to comply with `The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005`, also known as the RRO.

Fire extinguisher colour coding and their uses.

Water Extinguisher – Red code, used for solids such as wood, paper & furnishings.

Foam Extinguisher – Cream code, used for solids & flammable liquids including petrol & alcohol.

Powder Extinguisher – Blue code, used for solids, electricals and flammable liquids however it is not recommended in close, small spaces as it affects visibility and breathing.

CO2 Extinguishers – Black code, used for electricals & flammable liquids.

Wet Chemical Extinguishers – Yellow code, are used for deep fat fryers and fat fires.

If you are in doubt of which fire extinguishers you need for your business or home, Geoff is always happy to help either over the phone by email or during a site visit.

Not only do they provide brand-new fire extinguishers but they also refill and service used ones which work out a lot more affordable and environmentally friendly.

The family-run business is a local service that covers the whole of Plymouth and can reach as far as Tavistock, Callington, East Cornwall and the South Hams. They are prepared to go further afield for larger jobs however the call-out cost will reflect this. Although they are a small business, they are more than capable to take on large jobs and will carry out the same professional and friendly service no matter the size of the job.

The team consists of Geoff who is BAFE qualified and does all of the servicing, installation and refills. Carolyn is the brains behind the business and will book you in for a call-out or a service either over the phone or via email. Carolyn is also trained to be able to PAT test and so is their oldest son who is happy to help out as and when is needed.

Geoff and Carolyn believe in personal service. At present, they have no plans to expand the team because they love the current work/life balance that they worked so hard to achieve all these years.

G P Service is fundamentally a local, family business that is here to give the community as much protection as possible from future accidents. Geoff and Carolyn are the faces and the brains of the business who pride themselves on being friendly, knowledgeable and professional and want nothing more than to carry on providing their exceptional service for years to come.

gpservice@hotmail.co.uk
gpservice.co.uk

01752 696573